What does "scientific misconduct" entail?

Scientific misconduct pertains specifically to violations of established ethical standards or regulations guiding research practices. This includes actions such as fabrication or falsification of data, plagiarism, and failure to obtain necessary approvals or reporting conflicts of interest. These actions undermine the integrity of the research process and can lead to serious consequences for individuals and the broader scientific community.

The other choices, while related to research integrity, do not encapsulate the essence of scientific misconduct in the same way. Errors in data collection and poor methodology may indicate flaws in research practices but do not necessarily constitute misconduct unless they involve unethical behavior. Lack of funding is also an external circumstance that does not reflect on ethical behavior in research. Therefore, option B accurately captures the essence of what constitutes scientific misconduct.